Coney Island - Movie List

Revised July 10, 2006

Numerous movies have been filmed at Coney Island's colorful amusement parks and along its beaches. Unfortunately most have stories that have little plot involvement with the amusement attractions. There are exceptions, and probably the best of those movies is a little known classic called "The Little Fugitive." Usually the movie characters visit the area for only a few brief scenes, or views of Coney Island's beach and amusements are simply used to set the locale of the story.

The more likely explanation of why there aren't more movies filmed at Coney Island was that film studios, mostly located in Hollywood or Culver City, California used Los Angeles area's Venice and Ocean Park amusement piers, and Long Beach's "Pike". Sometimes, in the case of the movie "The Crowd", where Venice Pier's attractions doubled for Coney Island, and in "Strike Me Pink," the fabulous roller coaster chase scene was filmed on the Cyclone Racer at Long Beach's "Pike".

This movie list had its beginnings with Bill Figie's compiled list of movies with scenes of roller coasters, even if they were only seconds long. I added to it with the help of the Internet Movie Database, and I hope others will too. If you know of other movies or even shorts, please either E-Mail me or write to Jeffrey Stanton 12525 Allin St. Los Angeles, California
90066.

Short Films From 1897 - 1912

Early movies by Edison Manufacturing, American Mutoscope and Biograph were were five minute one-reel shorts that were travelogues or silly comedies, and they often depicted an amusement ride or scene at the beach.

Fun on the Steeplechase - 1897

Aerial Slide at Coney Island - 1897

Fatima's Belly Dance - 1897
Oriental dance in a dance-du-ventre to the music of a Turkish Band

Infamous short of Luna Park's rogue elephant being electrocuted in January 1903 during construction of the park. Edison filmed various animals being electrocuted to show how dangerous his rival's AC current was, and to scare potential customers into not allowing anything but his safer DC current into their homes.

Rube and Mandy at Coney Island - 1903

Short comedy in which a country couple visit Coney Island. At Steeplechase they amuse themselves on the Steeplechase Horses, the Rope Bridge, the Down and Out slide, and riding the bulls. At Luna Park, ride the miniature railway, shoot the chutes, ride in the boats at the Red Mill, visit Professor Wormwood's Monkey Theater, and do stunts on the rattan slide. They then visit fortune tellers on the Bowery, and eat frankfurters.

Double Ring Act, Luna Park - 1903

A Total Accident - 1903
Catastrophe of William Gordon in an attempt to ride a loop-the-loop ramp on a bicycle. As he neared the bottom after circling the loop, the wheel swerved into the framework. The injured man was carried away.

Great Fire Ruins, Coney Island - 1903
Scenes of the aftermath of the Bowery fire on November 1, 1903.

Looping the Loop at Coney Island - 1903
A ride on the Loop the Loop coaster on Surf Avenue and W. 10th St.

Behind the scenes look at Coney Island based on the play "Princess Zim-Zita. Rich guy imagines he is in love with a Streets of Cairo dancer. After he disgraces himslf by coming to the polo field drunk, his fiancee returns his engagement ring. He goes to Coney Island where he obtains a job as a piano player at the Turkish Dream and meets Tessie, "The Princess of Coney Island."

Short comedy photographed at Luna Park and other locales, where Keaton dresses as a girl and doubles as Fatty's date on a ride on the Shoot-the-Chutes. There is great stock footage of Luna's `The Top' roller coaster, and the Witching Waves, but after the first ten minutes, the comedy scenes take place mainly on the beach. The movie
was a disappointment for me since I expected the entire short film to show lots of skits on the rides.

Fatty Arbuckle rides on the Whip at Luna Park in the movie
"Fatty at Coney Island" - 1917.

The movie comedy involving a plot to steal the franchise for the last horse-pulled streetcar. To keep it the conveyance must run every 24 hours. Lloyd, who dates the granddaughter of the streetcar owner, takes his girl on a date to Luna Park. When her grandfather becomes ill, Speedy organizes the neighborhood oldtimers to thwart their scheme. The silent film was shot in New York City, and the amusement park scenes were filmed at Luna Park and Steeplechase. The fun house scenes were in Steeplechase's Pavillion of Fun where Lloyd and Cristy try the Barrel of Fun, the Spinning Disks and other fun house devices.

Young doctor abandons his Jewish ghetto neighborhood, family, and friends to join Park Avenue set and make big money. There is a long shot of an unknown coaster, and a few seconds of a shot of a man and woman riding on the coaster.

Manhattan Melodrama ( ) - starring William Powell & Myrna Loy - 1934

Boyhood pals, one a gangster and the other a District Attorney, remain adult friends. One goes on a date to Coney Island.

New York stenographer meets an Englishman and falls in love. She discovers he is a duke's son and already engaged. She confides in her reporter friend who publicizes her as the 'No Girl', so she cashes in her notority and becomes a cafe entertainer. Scenes at Luna Park??

This is a turn of the century musical of a saloon entertainer being turned into a musical star by hustling Montgomery. The movies use a drawing of a coaster during the credits and the scene in the restaurant uses a matte background shot of a coaster somewhere in the background (not a Coney coaster)

Film-noir about a sweet girl whose new husband (Jagger) may be a murderer. Mitchum is her ex-boyfriend. Shows short clips of the Human Pool Table and a scene from an unknown coaster.

Coney Island Honeymoon ( ) - 1945

Short

Mister 880 ( ) - starring Burt Landcaster, Dorthy McGuire - 1950

The skipper is a charming old man loved by all his neighbors. Unknown to them, he is an amateur conterfeiter who eluded the Secret Service of 20 years. Scenes at Coney Island where the old man rides the coaster with two kids.

A young boy thinks he has killed his brother and he wanders lost through Coney Island. There are lots of shots around Coney Island, some along the Bowery and at the Parachute Jump; but few of the
Tornado and Cyclone in action.

Ricky Andrusco buys a ticket on a carousel at Coney Island in the movie
Little Fugitives - 1953.

About a girl who grew up in the house under the roller coaster, who is
romanced by quirky Allen. Shows a short shot of the Thunderbolt plus a scene in
the house under the coaster where it vibrates from the running coaster.

The Wiz (Universal) - starring Diana Ross & Michael Jackson - 1978

A black version of the Wizard of Oz. There are scenes of the Oz
characters singing and dancing under the Cyclone roller coaster.

Salsa performer when he thinks his upcoming record is going to be a hit, shafts his friends and starts living the good life. His record flops. There is a scene at the Coney Island boardwalk with the Thunderbolt in the background.

Sixteen year-old boy arrives at St. Basil's Catholic Boys School in Brooklyn circa 1965 in a coming of age movie. The movie contains a scene along the Boardwalk with the Wonder Wheel and Parachute Jump in background, followed by a walk on the beach and kissing in seclusion under the boardwalk.

Movie is about two sister's families that live under the same roof in 1937 Brooklyn. One scene at Coney Island shows two boys talking on a street corner and the lower portion of the Cyclone shows in the background.

Story of an aloof Jewish intellectual who after hiding from the Nazis during World War II, settles in Coney Island in 1949. He is married, but is fooling around with a sexy married woman. Several of the long shots show the Cyclone and Thunderbolt coasters. There are also several closeups of the flat rides at Astroland.

Drug induced utopias for four Coney Island individuals are shattered when their addictions become stronger. Portrays Coney Island as a desolate landscape.

Uptown Girls ( ) - starring Brittany Murphy and Dakota Fanning - 2003

A carefree woman is a nanny to a precosious uptight 8-year-old girl. She takes the girl to Coney Island to ride the teacups, but the season hasn't opened and the rides are closed. View of the Wonder Wheel and several kiddie rides. Later in the movie the girl runs away one night and the nanny finds her on the teacup ride.

Tom and Nichole ( ) starring Dylan Davey, Nancy Mitchell - 2004

A couple spends their last day together at Coney Island

Television Documentaries

Coney Island (1991)

PBS American Experience documentary by Ron Burns.

Coney Island: America's Dreamland (2000)

Discovery Channel documentary.

Coney Island Sideshow (2003)

Discovery Channel documentary about Dick Zigan's freak show and its performers currently at Coney Island.